Sanitary towel and soap service.



G. .H. PARVIN & M. L. SNYDER. SANITARY TOWEL AND SOAP SERVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1913. 1,09%,743. Patented Apr. 7, 1911 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

0. HIP'ARVIN & M. L. SNYDER.

SANITARY TOWEL AND SOAP SERVICE,

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1913. 1,092,743, I Patented Apr. 7, 191A 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS 0. H. .PARVIN &-M.AL. SNYDER.

SANITARY TOWEL AND SOAP SERVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1913. 1,092,743. Patented Apr. 7, 1914 3 SHEETB-SHEET 3.

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SANITARY TOWEL AND SOAP SERVICE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 7, mi.

Application filed April 9, 1913. Serial No. 759,948.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. PARVIN and MAnLoN L. SNYDER, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Collingswood, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, and of Wyncote, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and Improved Sanitary Towel and Soap Service, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to automatic vending mechanism and has particular reference to means for dispensing sanitary towels and soap in public places.

Among the particular objects of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which is of,a comparatively simple mechanical nature, and hence which is thoroughly reliable for practical operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a check controlled mechanism of such a nature as to provide for the delivery of a quantity of soap and to permit the withdrawal of .a certain amount of toweling of any suitable nature, the operation of the mechanism for the purpose of initiating the movement thereof through the use of a coin or check'serving to deliver the soap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the class set forth which is not liable to become damaged or out of order due to carelessness or rough usage by the public. v

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming apart of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in normal closed position; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view substantiallyon the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a vertical section on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial view corresponding to Fig.

3, showing the trip mechanism in the act of beginning its movement; Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same on the line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 but with the plunger at its extreme inward movement; Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 88 of Fig. 4; Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4:; and Fig. 10 is a detail of the plunger and ratchetmechanism, the View corresponding to the same parts in Fig. 3.

The several parts of the devicemay be made of any materials found best suited for their purpose, and the relative sizes and proportions as well as the detailed design of the mechanism may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed. a

At 10 we show a. casing of any suitable configuration, the same being adapted to belocated and secured at any suitable place for the purpose intended. Said casing is shown as comprising a lid or cover 11 hinged at its front lower edge at 12 and adapted to be secured at its upper rear edge by any suitable fastening devioe 13 including a lock 14.

In the lower portion of the cover we provide transparency 15 through which the condition of the mechanism may be observed.

The casing comprises two principal compartments 16 and 17. In the compartment 16 is arranged a roll of toweling 18 preferably of absorbent paper, the same being supported upon a spindle 19 journaled in bearings 2-0 and 21, the latter bearing being formed in a support 22 extending rearwardly from the front of the machine within the compartment 16 and adjacent the compartment 17 The toweling 18 is guided over a roller 23, passing thence between said roller and a companion roller 24: located beneath the first mentioned roller and maintained by any suitable mechanism in substantially close contact therewith. The toweling passes thence downwardly and forwardly along a slide 25 and emerges through the bottom of the casing adjacent the knife edge 26, whereby an individual portion of the toweling may be severed from the bulk remaining in the casing. The roller 23 is journaled at one end 27 in the outer wall 28 of the casing, and the other end of the roller is journaled in the support 22. The trunnion 29 of the roller journaled in the support 22 is provided with a screw thread fora purpose soon to appear. The roller 24 is likewise journaled at its ends in the wall 28 and support 22. Any suitable resilient means may be employed to maintain proper tension between the two rollers in order to effect proper grip, upon the toweling. For this purpose we show a spring 30 mounted upon and extending between a pair of sleeves 27 and 27" through which the adjaeent roller gudgeons-extend. The opposite end of the roller 23 is maintained in proper cooperative relation to the roller 24 by apart of the mechanism described below.

e provide a means for delivering a coin or check into the machine, and through the presence of said check at a certain place the delivery mechanism is unlocked and caused to deliver or permit the delivery of the commodities intended; Under normal conditions the rollers are locked, preventing the withdrawal of the toweling, and likewise the soap delivery mechanism is locked so that a coin must be inserted at the, place intended in order to initiate the operation. The mechanism just referred to includes a plunger 31 maintained in the normal position shown in Fig. 3, by means of a comparatively strong spring 32 connected at its front end at 33 to the fixed wall 22 and at its rear end to an eye 34 adjacent the rear end of the plunger. Said plunger is maintained in position by and guided along a fixed guide 35 on the side of the support 22, the plunger being provided preferably with a plate 36 having dove-tailed engagement with said guide. The forward movement of the plunger is limited by the lid 11 and the rearward movement is limited by a stop 37.

Said plunger is provided with a removable stem 38 which projects through a hole 38' in said cover and provided on its outer end with a knob 39 to 'be pushed by a customer. A guard 40 of substantially semi-tubular for-m is preferably secured to the cover 11 and is so related to the stem, 38 as to prevent damage thereto or to the machine by an awkward or malicious person. The stem 38 may readily be removed from the main portion of the plunger when the casing is to be opened.

The plunger is provided with a vertical slot 41 extending longitudinally along its rear end, so as to receive in normal position a, coin or check 42 delivered thereto through a chute 43 leading inwardly and downwardly from a slot' 4-4. Said check is adapted to be supported automatically in operative position upon a plate 45 carried by the bottom of the plunger at the front end of a slot 41. The length of the plate 45, however, is so arranged that the check will not be retained in'connection with the plunger after it has served its purpose in starting the mechanism, but it will be dropped into'the rear of the casing or into a receptacle which may be provided for such purpose.

At 46 we show an actuator in the nature of a bell crank pivoted on a fixed pivot 47 to the support 22. Said actuator includes a. plurality of arms as follows: A downwardly extending arm 48 reaching normally within the slot 41 in position to be engaged by the check; an upwardly extending arm 49 having a stud 50 operating in a slot 51 adjacent the lower end of a link 52; a short' forwardly ext-ending arm 53 having a stud 54 lying normally in contact with the upper surface of a toe 55 extending horizontally and rearwardly at the lower end of said link 52, and said actuator includes also a rearwardly extending arm 56 having a downwardly projecting finger 57 serving to nor-' mally lock the plunger from rearward movement. Said link 52 is suspended from one end of a lever 58 pivoted at 59 on the front edge of the support 22. e provide an automatic stop mechanism for the toweling delivery rollers, the same including a bar 60 pivoted at 61 to the opposite end of said lever 58 and terminating at its upper end in a a point 62 offsetbeyond. the pivot 61 with respect to the support The lower end of said bar is bifurcated asshownat63 and stra ddles the threaded gudgeon 29v as shown best in Fig. 8. The crotch 64'of said yoke is adapted to cooperate with said thread whereby, while the bar 60 is retained in normal downward engagement with said gudgeon, the rotation of the roller 23 will cause the bar at its lower end to be fed longitudinally of said gudgeon away from the support 22and into proximity to the end of the roller 23 where, at a certain predetermined time, it will be impinged by a stud 65 carried by the roller, causing the roller to stop its rotation. Said bar 60 is normallyheld downward by virtue of a leaf spring 66 secured adjacent the top of the support 22 and bearing at its free end upon the point 62 of said bar.

hen the check 42 is inserted, as shown in Fig. 3, the first eflect of pressure upon the plunger will cause the actuator to be rotated around its pivot 47, causing the arm 53 and its stud 54 to press downwardly upon the link 52 through the toe 55, and hence causing the bar 60 to be lifted out of engagement with the threaded gudgeon 29 and allowing a leaf spring 66 to snap the yoke end of the bar toward or against the support 22, as shown in Fig. 6. Such rotation of the actuator will cause also the finger 57 to be withdrawn fromMthe-path of the plunger, allowing the plungerto 'baforced rearwardly to its full extent. The latter part of the move ment of the plunger, therefore, will cause the swinging of the actuator, as shown in 7 Fig. 7, and the delivery of the check through the bottom of theslot 41. During this latter part of the movement, the stud 50 of the arm 54 will operate in the arc of the slot 51, controlling the position of the toe 55 with respect to the arm. 53 and its stud 54, so that when the actuator is restored to its normal position, by virtue of its spring 67, after the plunger has been restored to its normal position, the stud 54; will be brought above the toe 55 and in position to receive the toe 55 below it when the stud 50 cooperates with the upper end of said slot. It will be noted that because of the shortness of the arm 53, the actual amount of rotation of the actuator will be very small until the bar 60 is thrown out of engagement with the stop 65, setting free the rollers.

The plunger is provided with a rack 68 meshing with andtdriving apinion 69 journaled loosely upon the gudgeon 29 of the main roller. We provide, however, pawl and ratchet mechanism serving to cause the pinion 69 to positively rotate the roller 23 when the plunger is pushed rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 10. This gives sufficient rotation to the delivery rollers 23 and 24 to cause the toweling to be projected far enough below the casing to be grasped by the hand, after which the operator will draw out the toweling, rotating the rollers until they are stopped by the automatic stop above described. He will then sever the portion of toweling thus projected, as above described. When the plunger returns to normal position, the pinion 69 will rotate idly upon the shaft 29.

The compartment 17 is intended especially. for the reception of soap preferably in the form of powder. The soap is intended to be dispensed in small quantities during the usual operation of the machine. The bottom of the compartment 17 is. hopper shaped, and has an outlet 71 communicating with a slide 7 2 movable along the upper surface of the bottom of the casing. Said slide is provided with a pocket 7 3 adapted in normal position to register with and deliver through a corresponding opening'i't in the bottom of the casing. The plunger and slide are connected for simultaneous movement by means of a plate 75 whereby, when the plunger is thrust rearwardly, the pocket 7 3 will be brought beneath the opening 71 of the hopper and receive a portion of soap. When the plunger is returned to normal position after its release, said portion of soap will be drawn forwardly with the slide and dropped from the opening 74 into a cup 7 6 pivotally suspended below the casing. The customer, by pushing rearwardly and swinging the cup on its pivot, will receive the soap in his hand, and the arrangement of the cup is such that it will maintain itself in normal suspended position automatically. At 77 is shown an agitator journaled at 78 within the hopper for the purpose of preventing the bridging of the soap. Said agitator has a downwardly projecting finger T9 connected by a staple 79 to the slide whereby the agitator will be caused to rock during each reciprocationof the slide and plunger.

The automatic stop mechanism for the roller 23 above described provides a simple and reliable means for varying the desired amount of movement or rotation of the rollers,'and hence the portion or length of the toweling to be delivered to each customer. It being understood that the length of the toweling to be delivered will be determined by the number of rotations of the roller 23 until it is stopped by the stop 65, it will follow that by varying the distance to which the bar 60 is thrown toward the support 22 by means of the spring 66, the number of rotations of the roller 23 will be varied. We

provide, therefore, as a means to vary such throw, a set scre-w 80 which is shown as mounted in the support 22 and adjustable laterally from the side thereof toward the end of the roller 23. By further projecting the screw the movement of the bar 60 will be reduced with a corresponding reduction in the possible number of rotations of the roller 23. I

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a roller and means to control the rotation of said roller, said controlling means including a threaded gudgeon on one end of the roller, a bar straddling said gudgeon at one end, a stop carried by the end of the roller and adapted to engage saidbar, and means to lift the bar out of engagement with said thread and move the same longitudinally of and out of contact with said threaded gudgeon.

2. The combination of a roller and means for controlling the rotation of the roller, said controlling mean including a threaded gudgeon for one end of the roller, a bar in normal engagement with said thread, a stop on the adjacent end of the roller normally engaging said bar, and devicescooperating with said gudgeon serving to lift and move said bar out of engagement with said stop and to'return it into engagement with the gudgeon spaced from said stop, and means to positively rotate the roller and gudgeon causing the bar to return into position to be struck by said stop. p

3. The combination of a roller and means to control the rotation of said roller, said controlling means including a member movrection, an actuator serving to cause movement of the member in the other direction, and an adjustable device serving to vary the extent of movement of said device and num- 5 her of rotations of said roller, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES H. PARVIN.

. MAHLON L. SNYDER.

Witnesses:

PHILIP RENNINGER, FRED. RENNINGER. 

